Abstract

The delivery technology of gene into cells has been increasingly paid attention for gene therapy and the generation of genetically engineered cells. If it is possible to artificially introduce exogenous genetic materials into cells at a high transfection efficiency by a delivery technology, the technology will give academically, clinically, and practically great impacts to gene therapy, cell and molecular biology or pharmaceutical and food industries for bio-productions. The major aim of gene therapy is to effectively deliver the genetic materials into cells, genetically modifying and repairing cell functions, which may induce therapeutic healing of disease conditions. The genetic material involves DNA, RNA, antisense, DNA decoy, and ribozyme, and it is expected that their appropriate transfection allows disease cells to turn to a good direction of recovery. The genetic manipulation often manifests the mechanisms of intracellular machineries of gene and protein, while it may play an important role in making clear the appropriate genes associated with various diseases. Based on the basic and scientific knowledge, the delivery technology of gene is applicable to produce various proteins pharmaceutically valuable, e.g. cytokines, growth factors, and antibodies as well as seeds strong against harmful insects and cold weather damage. In other words, the cells genetically innovated work as the microfactory to produce valuable pharmaceutical and food products. This review provides a critical view of different approaches of gene therapy with a major focus on smart biomaterials transfection agent technologies to control the in vitro and in vivo localization and function of administered genes.